Match Report: Angel City FC 2-1 Seattle Reign FC | Angel City Secures First Win of Season

Angel City FC claimed their first victory of the 2025 NWSL season on Sunday, defeating Seattle Reign FC 2-1 in an entertaining contest at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.

The match began with Angel City asserting their dominance, controlling possession and creating several promising attacks in the early minutes. Their positive start was rewarded in the 8th minute when Alyssa Thompson finished clinically from Kennedy Fuller's incisive assist, giving the hosts a deserved lead.

Seattle responded quickly, however, earning a penalty just four minutes later that South Korean international Ji So-yun calmly converted in the 12th minute to level the score. The equalizer energized the visitors, who began to find more rhythm in their play despite Angel City maintaining the majority of possession.

The first half ended with the teams deadlocked at 1-1, though Angel City's 58% possession advantage suggested they were the more assertive side. Their passing accuracy (74% compared to Seattle's 68%) allowed them to dictate the tempo, completing 376 successful passes out of 507 attempts.

Seattle manager Laura Harvey made a triple substitution on the hour mark, bringing on Shae Holmes, Emeri Adames, and Nérilia Mondésir in an attempt to gain the upper hand. The tactical adjustment had barely taken effect when Angel City struck the decisive blow. In the 63rd minute, Riley Tiernan headed home Claire Emslie's precise cross to restore the hosts' advantage.

Angel City coach Sam Laity responded with substitutions of his own, introducing Macey Hodge and Julie Dufour to help secure the result. The home side's defense, led by captain Sarah Gordon, successfully contained Seattle's attempts to find an equalizer, limiting the visitors to just one shot on target throughout the entire match.

Despite Seattle's statistical advantage in expected goals (1.5 xG to Angel City's 1.4), the Reign failed to translate this into meaningful opportunities. Angel City's defense proved resilient, making 27 clearances and winning 11 aerial duels to protect their slender lead.

The victory moves Angel City to a 1-2-0 record while Seattle falls to 1-1-1 in the early stages of the 2025 NWSL campaign. Angel City's first win of the season will provide a confidence boost as they look to climb from their current position in the standings.

Angel City will aim to build on this momentum in their next fixture, while Seattle will look to bounce back and improve their road form, which has historically been a challenge for the club.

Match Details

Venue: BMO Stadium, Los Angeles

Attendance: 15,384

Date: Sunday, March 30, 2025

Time: 17:00 (local time)

Competition: National Women's Soccer League (Regular Season)

Officials:

Referee: Gerald Flores

AR1: Christian Clerc

AR2: Ethan Buege

Fourth Official: Trevor Wiseman

VAR: Katja Koroleva

Managers:

Angel City FC: Sam LaitySeattle

Reign FC: Laura Harvey

Captains:

Angel City FC: Sarah Gordon

Seattle Reign FC: Phoebe McClernon

Goals:

Angel City FC: Alyssa Thompson (8', assisted by Kennedy Fuller)

Seattle Reign FC: Ji So-yun (12', penalty)

Angel City FC: Riley Tiernan (63', assisted by Claire Emslie)

Cards:

Yellow Cards:

Nérilia Mondésir (Seattle Reign FC, 63'),

Alyssa Thompson (Angel City FC, 89'),

Madeline Dahlien (Seattle Reign FC, 90+2')

Red Cards: None

Key Substitutions:

Seattle Reign FC: Shae Holmes for Emily Mason (61'), Emeri Adames for Ana-Maria Crnogorčević (61'), Nérilia Mondésir for Samantha Meza (61'), Olivia Van der Jagt for Maddie Mercado (83')

Angel City FC:

Macey Hodge for Katie Zelem (65'),

Julie Dufour for Claire Emslie (65'),

Miyabi Moriya for Gisele Thompson (74'),

Madison Hammond for Savannah King (90+4'),

Christen Press for Riley Tiernan (90+4')

Season Record:

Angel City FC: 1-2-0

Seattle Reign FC: 1-1-1